


Four Hearts Become One

by andreaxjulia



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, F/F, Luke and Alex endgame, M/M, Platonic Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 06:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26847277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andreaxjulia/pseuds/andreaxjulia
Summary: Alex wasn't sure what he expected when he died. If his parents were right, he'd either go to heaven or hell. Growing up in the church in the 80's as a gay guy, he definitely thought a lot about where he would end up. Especially after leaving home to live in a garage with his bandmate and boyfriend and his idea of religion and the afterlife was skewed.He pondered often about what could really happen after death. Maybe reincarnation was real. Maybe he would come back after death with no anxiety. Now that would be a blessing.But he never expected to face his anxieties so young.
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina, Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex & Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Reggie, Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 90





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was heavily inspired by an AU by @/shine-together-bright-forever on tumblr and she was lovely and gave me permission to write out a full blown fic with the idea. 
> 
> https://shine-together-bright-forever.tumblr.com/post/630994151980269568/julie-and-the-phantoms-au-that-ill-probably-never
> 
> A few things, this is a reincarnation au, so after they group hug the boys’ souls go back seventeen years prior to be reborn so in 2020 they are 17. I don’t mention Reggie reuniting with Julie Bc this is Alex centered but when Alex meets him and Julie, Reggie remembers his past life. Also, I use the actual actors first names as their reincarnated selves names so that kind of tells you who’s who :)

Alex wasn't sure what he expected when he died. If his parents were right, he'd either go to heaven or hell. Growing up in the church in the 80's as a gay guy, he definitely thought a lot about where he would end up. Especially after leaving home to live in a garage with his bandmate and boyfriend and his idea of religion and the afterlife was skewed.

He pondered often about what could really happen after death. Maybe reincarnation was real. Maybe he would come back after death with no anxiety. Now that would be a blessing.

The after life was one of those things that created great anxiety for Alex. Something he found himself thinking about more than he should.

"There's no point dwelling too heavily on it Alex," Luke would say, sleep edging at his voice (for these thoughts usually crept at him late at night). "We're seventeen. We've got our whole lives ahead of us."

And Alex couldn't argue with that statement. In that moment, there was no reason to disagree with Luke. They were only seventeen and they did have their whole lives ahead of them.

But only a month later, Alex was forced to face the afterlife a little earlier than any of them had anticipated. And it was nothing like how he expected it to be.

They were in a dark room.... or a dark space? It just seemed like an endless pit of darkness. And Alex cried. Because of course he was stuck in purgatory. Of course his parents were right, of course his church was right. And he should have taken comfort in being stuck in purgatory with two of his best friends but when one of those friends happens to be your ex boyfriend, things start to look a little bleak.

But then they were teleported back to the studio and Alex felt like he could breath again (and no, the irony of that statement didn't get lost on Alex). Because maybe this was a second chance. Or maybe they weren't in purgatory after all. Maybe it was some weird afterlife waiting room.

In life, Alex thought much about the afterlife and death and all that would become of him afterwards, causing him great anxiety. And in death, that anxiety only increased. He didn't have any answers, only more questions and inconsistencies and uncertainties. An endless stream of 'what next's and 'how's and 'why's that didn't seem to have an end in sight.

So he just continued on with his life (or afterlife), focusing on the only thing that has ever managed to calm him down; drumming with his best friends.

And after awhile, Alex could ignore the crippling anxiety that threatened to consume him with every passing minute of being a ghost, taking comfort in being on earth, drumming and in the presence of three people who meant the world to him. Sure, he had to watch Luke fall for Julie like his own twisted form of hell, but he also got to meet Willie and Julie and stay with Reggie and Luke. So even after running into Caleb, it wasn't a totally hellish experience.

But just as he was settling into this new routine of being a ghost, he was forced to try and move on. And he was terrified at the prospect.

Willie had just left Alex alone in the empty Orpheum in order to get some last minute things done. But Alex hung back, thinking about his past — about what their life could have been like had they not died — and about what was to come after their performance that night.

"Figured I'd find you here," Luke's voice sounded behind him.

Alex looked over his shoulder as Luke took steps towards him, tentatively sitting in place where Willie had previously sat. It was weird for Alex to see Luke so unsure of himself. Then again, the two haven't been alone together since their breakup 25 years ago. Sure, to them it was only about two months ago, but still.

Alex just nodded at Luke, staring at his hands as he anxiously fiddled with them.

"How are you doing?" Luke asked. "With.... everything, I mean?"

Alex shrugged, not sure if Luke was asking just to ask, but wasn't really up for the Alex's emotional side or if he really wanted Alex to share.

"How does anyone handle dying, coming back as a ghost and having to quickly face your unfinished business in order to move on before your soul just.... ceases to exist?" Alex asked.

"Fair point," Luke said.

Reggie showed up then, smiling at the sight of the two together. "We all had the same idea it seems," he said, dropping himself down beside Alex, causing him to scoot closer to Luke.

For a while, they sat together, staring at the empty stadium with a series of unspoken words floating between them and the room. Alex took to tapping his finger to a simple beat on his knee.

After a pause, Luke reached over, grabbing Alex's hand and stopping him from anxiously drumming on his knee. "Hey, it'll all work out."

"How can you be so sure?" Alex asked, eyes burning on their held hands resting on his knee.

Luke shrugged. "I just know," to Alex and Reggie he added, "no matter where the three of us go, we'll always be together."

Reggie smiled at that, putting his hand on Alex's free hand. "What Luke said. Because I, at least, will not be staying anywhere that you two aren't."

It was Alex's turn to smile. He squeezed Luke and Reggie's hands. "I'd crawl through hell and back for you guys."

"Ditto," the two chorused before they decided to go back to the studio.

It wasn't until after the performance, when they thought they were going to be erased from existence, and they hugged Julie, that Alex felt peace.

And then, he was gone.


	2. Do you drum?

Owen absentmindedly tapped a simple beat with his pencil on his notebook, his mind anywhere but on the algebraic concept his teacher was going on about.

"Hey, Owen."

He perked up as the boy next to him, Charlie Gilson, leaned in to whisper to him. "That's a really good beat," he said. "Do you drum?"

Owen paused at this question. He hadn't even realized his tapping had made music.

_'Do you drum?'_

It was a simple question, with an even simpler answer: no. But some reason he felt it was more complicated than that. A distant memory he couldn't quite hold on to was latching itself to the back of his mind.

"Uh.... no," he finally answered. "No I don't really have time to play any instruments."

It was true. Between AP's, dance classes, his job and having just moved to LA, he barely had time to hang out with friends, let alone pick up an instrument. But he liked the idea.

"Well you would be an amazing drummer," Charlie responded with a bright and beautiful smile. "I'm in a band myself — I'm kind of the front man."

He was bragging, but in a cute way that struck Owen as oddly familiar. Something in his lopsided and charming smile reminded him of somebody, but he couldn't quite place who. He just smiled softly at the boy. "That's really cool Charlie."

"If... If you ever get the time... you should watch us rehearse," he offered.

Owen smiled. "I'll let you know when I'm free."

"Cool," Charlie smiled, relaxing back into his seat as the bell rang, signifying the end of the school day.

Owen packed up his things, quickly running out of the class and to his car in order to make it to his sisters middle school in time to pick her up from baseball practice. It didn't end until five o'clock but LA traffic was worse between four and five, not to mention her school was halfway across the city. Besides, he liked to catch at least part of her practice while he worked on homework.

After her practice finished, she ran up to Owen, a boy with floppy hair trailing a bit behind her.

"Hey Owen... can I ask you for a favor?" Grace asked, smiling big and showing all her teeth.

"Anything Gracie, what's up?" he asked, neatly placing his notebook in his bag.

"Well, Carlos' dad invited me to dinner but he can't pick us up.... I was wondering if.... maybe you could drop us off?" she asked, hopefully.

Owen glanced past Grace and over at the boy who stood a bit behind them. He was clearly pretending not to listen to their conversation. Owen smiled as he looked back at his sister.

"Dinner with Carlos' family huh?" he asked, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.

Grace shoved her brother. "Oh shut up it's not like that and you know it!"

"Yeah I know," Owen said through chuckles. "Yeah I can give you guys a ride."

"Yay! Come on Carlos, he said yes!"

Owen wasn't use to being the chauffeur for Grace, in fact he wasn't really use to driving at all. He hadn't needed to do a whole lot of that while living in upstate New York. But driving Grace and her friends around the last few months gave him a sense of what his driver back in New York experienced.

He pulled into the driveway of the house Carlos pointed out to him, his eyes landing on it with a strange sense of familiarity.

"What time should I pick you up?" Owen asked, eyes still glued on the house in front of him.

"You don't have to leave," Carlos said. "My sister is actually practicing with one of her bandmates."

"His sister preformed at the Orpheum last month," Grace said. "Shes in that hologram band that everyone is going crazy about."

Owen looked back at them at that. He never ended up watching that performance, but his friends back home had told him the drummer looked a lot like him.

"Uhm... sure," Owen finally said. "If you don't think they'll mind."

"Not at all!" Carlos said. "Come on, follow me!"

Owen wasn't sure why he agreed to watching this random band practice. Some reason he just felt drawn to it. Drawn to the house, drawn to this band.

When Carlos opened the garage doors, that strange sense of deja vu washed over him again. The room looked so familiar, felt so familiar. It felt like home. He felt safe and comforted inside that garage.

"Alex," breathed out a distantly familiar voice.

Owen looked to the source of the voice, not entirely sure why he responded to the name. Two people around his age stood in the center of the room. The boy had a bass slung around his shoulder and he looked at Owen with intense recognition.

"Uh..... no," Owen said. "I'm Owen."

"Oh," the girl said. "No, yeah.... you just..... look like someone I knew...."

"Sorry to disappoint," Owen said. "Uh.. I'm Grace's brother."

"Grace is on the baseball team with me," Carlos said. "Dad invited her over for dinner. Thought Owen would enjoy watching you guys practice."

"Oh! Yeah!" she said. "Our band is kind of..... spread out, at the moment. But you can certainly watch. I'm Julie."

"Reg — Jer — I —" the boy stuttered.

Owen raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Forgot your name?"

The boys lips quirked into a slight smile. He was looking at Owen like he was looking at a ghost. "Jeremy.... my stage name is Reggie though...."

"A stage name huh?" Owen questioned, slowly moving towards the drums. He usually would keep still in a new setting, not wanting to cross strangers boundaries. But he felt oddly comfortable in this studio.

"Do you play?" Jeremy asked, a little too eager and excited.

Owen chuckled. What were the odds of not one, but two people asking if he played the drums in one day.

"Owen? Play the drums?!" Grace asked, chuckling immediately after. "He's nowhere cool enough for that."

Owen shot his sister a playful glare, leading his sister to stick her tongue out at him. He followed the childish gesture before turning back to Julie and Jeremy.

"No," he said, running a finger over the drum set. "But I get that question a lot."

"No you don't," Grace protested.

"You don't know what questions I get Gracelyn," Owen argued.

"Y-you should try it," Julie said. "Our.... ex-drummer wouldn't mind."

"No, no," Owen said. "I would just make... loud noise."

"We don't mind," Jeremy said, smiling innocently a moment later. "Maybe.... maybe you'll be a natural."

"The only thing he's a natural at is being a natural pain," Grace shot back.

"Ha. Ha," Owen responded. "You're real original."

"Uh, hey Grace — I want to show you those ghost videos I was telling you about," Carlos said.

"Okay!"

With that the two left, and the awkward, anxious feeling finally caught up with Owen. He backed away from the drum set, his hand falling lamely off of the cymbal.

"I uh, I should probably go," Owen said. "I don't want to intrude."

"No!" they both exclaimed.

Julie cleared her throat. "You're not intruding. Really. An-and what's the point of leaving if you have to pick up your sister later."

She had a point, but Owen thought it was a little odd how insistent they were being about this.

"Besides," Jeremy said. "Practicing has been weird since..... since our other band members... moved."

"Oh," Owen said. "Well... I'm sorry about that. Wish I could be of some help."

"Well.... if you wanted to try —" Jeremy glanced at the drum set.

"Really... I have no music talent in me," Owen responded. Julie and Jeremy exchanged glances. "Sorry to disappoint."

"No, no," Julie assured. "You're no disappointment at all Owen."

"Would you... would you want to get coffee with us?" Julie asked, tentatively stepping forward.

"Uh..... sure," Owen answered, smiling shyly.

"Cool!" Jeremy shouted, throwing an arm around Owen's shoulder like it was something he had done thousands of times before. "I have a feeling we are going to be fast friends."


	3. I don’t even know an alex!

Owen was mindlessly scrolling through his phone while Julie got up to get the drinks. He often aimlessly scrolled through his phone when anxious and being around new people was a main source of anxiety for him.

He reached out to grab his danish, but his hand met table. He did this a few times before looking up from his phone, eyes meeting Jeremy's grinning face, Owen's plate at the tip of his fingers.

Something about that struck Owen oddly familiar. Like he had been in this exact situation with Jeremy.

"Sorry," he said. "I couldn't resist."

"I-its okay," Owen said. "I'm just.... having crazy deja vu."

Jeremy's eyes went wide. "You are?"

Owen nodded, not understanding why Jeremy was making such a big deal about deja vu. Julie arrived then, setting the drinks down.

"So... Owen, Carlos told me you guys just moved to LA?" Julie asked.

"Yeah," Owen said. "We just moved her from upstate New York. My dad got a job choreographing a new musical."

"Upstate New York?" Jeremy asked, chuckling a bit. Julie elbowed him.

"That's really cool Owen!" Julie said.

"Yeah, he's a pretty big Broadway choreographer," Owen added.

"And you're not into music?" she asked.

"Uh, it's not that I'm not," he replied, drumming a beat with his fingers on the table. "I was just always too busy with dance classes and theater. I sing in school musicals but that’s it, musically speaking anyway.” 

"You dance?" Jeremy asked, greatly interested.

"Yeah! My dad put me in dance classes from the age of three," Owen said. "I've done it all..... why are you guys smiling at me like that...?"

They're proud grins dropped immediately. "Uh.... it just sounds really cool! — right Regg..Jer?"

"Right! Yeah, I mean we're not crazy proud of you for pursuing a dream of yours b-because we just met you," Jeremy said, earning another elbow from Julie.

" _Riiightttt_ ," Owen said, glancing at his phone as it vibrated on the table.

His heart skipped a bit in his chest at the instagram notification.

> @charliegillsguitar: hey! how’s that busy schedule of yours this weekend?
> 
> @owen.patnerr: depends, what will I be doing if I’m free?
> 
> @charliegillsguitar: coming to my bands show 😁
> 
> @owen.patnerr: consider me free, then ☺️
> 
> @charliegillsguitar: perfect! I’ll send you the address, we go on at 9

It was only seven o’clock, which gave Owen two hours to find an outfit and make it to the gig at least ten minutes before his performance. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt like that was no time at all.

“I should go,” he said. “I uh, I’ve got plans. But thank you, for inviting me to coffee.”

“Oh, no problem,” Julie said, quickly glancing at Jeremy.

“We should exchange numbers,” Jeremy said.

“Yes!” Julie said. “We should hang out again.”

Owen smiled, relaxing his shoulders at the affirmation. “Yeah? I would totally love that!”

They exchanged numbers, instagrams and Snapchat’s and made their way back to Julie’s house. Owen picked up Grace, said his final goodbyes to Jeremy and Julie, and made his way home with Grace.

“Why’d you pick me up so early?” Grace whined as she slipped her seatbelt under her armpit.

“Wear your seatbelt right Gracelyn,” he said, exasperatedly. She compiled with a huff. “And... I have plans.”

“You have plans?” she asked, shock ebbed in her tone.

“Yes! I can have plans!” he shouted. “I’m not a total loser....”

“I just haven’t seen you hang out with anyone since we moved here,” Grace explained. “Who is it?”

Owen’s cheeks warmed and he began to tap with the beat of the song on the radio. “Uh.... just... this guy in my algebra class....”

“Just a guy?!” Grace asked, excitedly shifting her body in her seat. “Does little Wennie have a daaatteeee?”

“Oh shut up Gracie.” He shoved his sisters face away from him, his cheeks growing warmer under the insinuation. “I-it’s not like that.... he just asked me to watch his band play....”

“Sounds pretty gay to me,” Grace responded. Owen rolled his eyes at that. “Is he cute?”

“Uhh I mean....” his voice went high in pitch.

“Oh you’re totally crushing on this guy!”

“I barely know this guy!”

“You don’t have to know someone well to crush on them!” she shouted back. “Just admit you think this guy is cute!”

“I don’t have to admit anything to you,” he said, parking the car in his driveway. “Get out of my car”

* * *

The venue was relatively packed when Owen arrived. He shrunk his shoulders, trying to make himself as unnoticeable as possible, his eyes darting around the room for a sign of Charlie.

“Owen! You made it!” Charlie came bouncing off the stage, wrapping Owen in a surprising hug.

“Yeah, of course,” Owen said as they parted the hug. “Said I would come didn’t I?”

Charlie chuckled, nervously scuffing his shoes against the floor. “You did.... you did say that, that is true.... I’m uh, I’m just glad that you did is all.”

“I’m glad you invited me,” Owen said, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jean jacket.

“Charlie, we’re on in five,” said one of his bandmates.

“Oh! I’ll see you after,” Charlie said, beaming brightly.

Owen nodded, smiling to himself as Charlie scrambled onto the stage. He lingered a bit to the side, but still close to the front as Charlie introduced the band.

“Hello, I am Charlie Gillson and we are Rioting Chickens!”

Owen quickly covered his mouth, holding back his chuckles at the name of the band. But then the drummer counted them in and they began playing and Owen had to admit, they were really good. He was no music expert but he could tell they were a little off. Maybe it was less their individual talent and more their collective bond but something was off. Charlie was amazing though. And he kept looking over at Owen, smiling at him as he sang.

They did a couple songs and then Owen hung back with Charlie, staying until after the venue closed.

“I’ve got to get home,” the drummer told Charlie, coming up to them at the table they sat at. “Mind packing up my set for me?”

Charlie’s back was facing him, and Owen could see the irritation cross over his face. “Not at all, Kyle.” But his tone said the opposite.

Owen watched Kyle roll his eyes before muttering an insincere ‘thank you’ and stalking off.

“Total dickwad,” Charlie muttered. When Owen looked back at him, he clarified. “Kyle is. The whole band is..... but you take what you can get.”

“That seems like a statement for school food,” Owen said. “Not about your band.”

Charlie chuckled, relaxing back into his chair, pushing it back on its back two legs. “I guess that’s true. I mean if you were to pick up drumming....”

It was Owen’s turn to chuckle, shaking his head a little. Third time was a pattern.....

“No, no,” Owen said. “I must really give off drummer vibes because this is the third conversation I’ve had today about this.”

Charlie leaned forward, the chair clinking on the tile as the front two legs hit back on the ground. He leaned on his elbows, eyes wide and attentive.

“I think it’s the constant drumming,” he said, nodding at Owen’s hand.

He looked down, immediately stopping himself from tapping. He hadn’t even noticed he’d been doing it.

“Nervous habit,” he wrote off.

Charlie nodded. “I’m just saying, it’s not like you don’t have rhythm, Alex.”

Owen drew his eyebrows together, looking at Charlie and waited for him to catch his mistake. “Uh.... Owen.”

Charlie’s eyes went wide with panic. “Oh my god..... I — I’m _so_ sorry! I don’t know — I don’t even know an Alex — I know your name, Owen!”

Owen chuckled at that, reaching over and grabbing Charlie’s hand. “It’s fine Charlie. I must just look like an Alex. You are the second person to call me that _today_.”

Charlie relaxed at that, his worried expression turning into a soft smile. “I really am sorry, Owen.”

“Seriously, Charlie, it’s fine,” he assured. “You also don’t have to throw in my name in every sentence. I know you know my name.”

Charlie let out a chuckle, the sound a mixture of relieved and awkward.

“I should go though,” Owen reluctantly said. “My dad will be expecting me before midnight.”

“Oh,” Charlie let out. “Right! I didn’t realize how late it was...”

“I can... I can help you load the equipment,” Owen suggested. “If you want.” 

“No, no,” Charlie said. “I don’t want to get you in trouble with your dad.”

“I’m sure being a _few_ minutes late one time in all my life won’t get me grounded,” Owen responded.

“A goody-goody huh?” Charlie teased, smirking and lightly biting his lower lip. “Why am I not surprised?”

Owen was sure that if Charlie continued looking at him like that, he would have no choice but to kiss him.

“You-you really don’t have to stay with me,” he finally said. “I don’t want your dad to hate me before he even meets me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Charlie assured. “You’ll just have to make it up to me sometime.”

“Oh yeah?”

Charlie nodded. “How’s that busy schedule of yours the rest of the weekend?”

“Well I have dance class, musical rehearsals and then I should do homework...” Charlie’s face dropped. “But, homework can wait for Sunday night, right?”

He smiled. “I’m thinking I’m a bad influence on you.”

“Maybe a little,” Owen said. “I’ll DM you my number and we can make plans tomorrow afternoon?”

“It’s a date,” Charlie said, smiling brightly.

Owen’s cheeks grew warm under his gaze. “It’s a date.”


End file.
